Alf Levin

When Alf was eleven years old he and his class did a study visit at Klässbols Linneväveri. When they returned to Liljenäs school, Miss Kerstin Walan sad “Who determines what will be for pattern?” The whole class sat down and draw their own towels. Clearly there should be a hand, Alf thought. He drew his own hand on a small sheet in the college block. Wrote “Title: Handcraft” at the top and gave it to his teacher. Then he did not think about that anymore until a week later when the phone rang. His mum answered and she said it was from the linen weavery and told Alf a funny story that the pattern they really liked has been lying for a number of years for various reasons. But now, Urban Johansson has grabbed Alf´s hand pattern, scaled it so it fits a small towel and started to weave it.
Alf Levin, 14 years old, did not understand how big it would be for him to measure himself with famous names such as Astrid Sampe who made the towel “Kökstrivsel” and Ingrid Dessau who made the Nobel serie.
Almost every day, we receive requests from educated designers who want us to weave their designs, but almost everyone is denied, says Urban Johansson. But Alf Levin did not even have to ask.